UTSA to meet I-35 rival Texas State in non-conference game on Tuesday night

Courtesy: UTSA AthleticsRelease: 05/09/2013

Courtesy UTSA Athletics

RELATED LINKS

SAN ANTONIO — UTSA and Texas State will renew the I-35 rivalry on Tuesday night in a non-conference game in San Marcos. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Bobcats Ballpark.

The Roadrunners (9-3), winners of four consecutive games, swept the field — Omaha, Penn State and Stephen F. Austin — at last weekend's UTSA Classic.

UTSA is off to a fast start at the plate this season. The Birds lead the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 11 offensive categories, including batting average (.338), runs (100), hits (146), home runs (7) and RBIs (88).

The Roadrunners pitching staff also ranks second in the conference in ERA (3.09) and walks allowed (30).

UTSA's offense has been fueled by many players, including Daniel Rockett, who was named the WAC Player of the Week on Monday for the second time in the last three weeks.

Meanwhile, RJ Perucki, who is batting .373, is the league leader with four home runs and 20 RBIs and Riley Good is hitting .379 with a league-best 17 runs scored and five stolen bases.

Nolan Trabanino (3-0, 1.29 ERA) will make his second straight midweek start for the Roadrunners on Tuesday night. He earned the win a week ago after limiting Texas-Pan American to a run on four hits over 7.1 innings of work. The left-hander has struck out 13 in 14 stanzas and has yet to issue a walk this spring.

The Bobcats (4-7) won the final two contests of last weekend's three-game series with Northern Kentucky. Texas State, which boasts one of the WAC's top pitching staffs, has limited opponents to a .232 batting average and struck out a league-best 106 hitters (including 37 looking).

Left-hander Mitchell Pitts (0-1, 8.31 ERA) is slated to make his second start this season.

Tuesday marks the 77th meeting between the two rivals separated by just 55 miles. The Bobcats have won 10 of the last 11 meetings and hold a 48-28 advantage in the all-time series. However, the Roadrunners posted a 4-0 victory in the last meeting on May 13, 2012.